Science ministry moves to ease radio regulations for AI and defense sectors

The Ministry of Science and ICT said Wednesday it will overhaul radio regulations to support physical artificial intelligence. The plan allows object-detection radars in outdoor environments and streamlines licensing for defense-related experiments.

Technical standards will be revised by year-end to permit object-detection and collision-avoidance radars operating in the 76 to 81 gigahertz band outside indoor factories. The expanded allowance covers outdoor driving spaces within plants, parking lots, and cargo handling areas.

The ministry also intends to raise the power output threshold for industrial wireless charging systems exempt from licensing from 1 kilowatt to 3 kilowatt, with broader system improvements including remote charging frequency supplies scheduled for completion by December.

To accelerate development in the national defense industry, a fast-track system will cut the approval time for experimental radio stations to 15 days. This measure targets the defense and arms sectors specifically.

In a move to relieve financial burdens on small business owners, the usage deadline for existing analog lifestyle transceivers operating at 400 megahertz has been extended six years to December 31, 2032.

New technical standards for ground-penetrating and wall-penetrating radars are expected by year-end to help prevent sinkhole accidents and inspect underground facilities, while the ministry plans to establish protocols for bird-detection radars to prevent collisions between aircraft and wildlife.

Starting in 2027, pilot services utilizing radio technologies such as hearing loops and Bluetooth Auracast will launch to provide public announcements for the hearing impaired. The ministry also simplified electromagnetic compatibility assessments by allowing certification number lookups to replace the submission of original test records for individual components during product evaluation.

"We will boldly remove unreasonable regulations so that promising new industries such as manufacturing, logistics, and K-defense can leap forward faster using radio waves in the era of physical AI," said Choi Woo-hyuk, director of the Information Protection and Network Policy Bureau at the ministry.